Hello, gentlemen. I know, it's been a while. I've been around but not
 writing, and I'm sure you've all missed my long-ass scheme and
 diagram-heavy fanposts.

Here's the bottom line: I'm in a graduate
 program that's as hard as a fucking coffin nail, and I don't have a
lot of free time. I just finished a Theoretical Statistics paper, and 
instead of reading more I'm going to write for you all. I'm a martyr 
for BGN, I swear it.

Anyway, this is a primer to help you understand what we need to find 
for the middle of our LB corps now that we know Juan and Washburn are 
coming back. By the way, that's ‘LB corps' like ‘Marine Corps', not 
‘LB core' like the core of an apple. It drives me nuts when people do 
that.

The take home points are these:
1. We need a Wide-9 MIKE really, really badly.
2. That player absolutely is not currently on the Eagles' roster.

3. What makes a good Wide-9 MIKE is not speed, size, or power.
4. What makes a good Wide-9 MIKE is instincts, block shedding, and 
tackling technique.

5. The Eagles need to get ahold of Curtis Lofton, Stephen Tulloch, or
 draft Luke Kuechly.
6. The Eagles must avoid players like Vontaze Burfbitch like the plague.

Continue reading this post »

Greetings, O fetishistic followers of the Black and Gold.

I'm DSmith215, one of the regulars over at Bleeding Green Nation, the Eagles blog. We're excited to watch our team play their in-state brethren on Thursday, and I'm here to be a sounding board for any questions you have about the Eagles team you'll face in a couple of days.

I'm pretty football-y, so I can answer questions about schemes, personnel packages, playcalling, etc.

We beat the Ravens for you, (you're welcome,) so please tell James Harrison to not kill any of our core players. Thanks.

Here's to a good game and no injuries for either side.

(Rec this so it sticks around.)

Best,

DSmith215 o.b.o. Bleeding Green Nation

Hello, folks.

Less serious and much less lengthy than usual. Just some things I've been idly wondering about during this period of not much happening.

I'd like your esteemed opinions regarding these questions.

7 Brief Musings of DSmith215:

1. I'm worried that DeSean Jackson could become a huge punk post-contract.

It is absolutely no secret that DeSean is one of the most important players on the Eagles. It is also absolutely no secret that he has some lingering character concerns. I appreciate that DeSean didn't let his contract blow up the team last year. However, he had some moments that are red flags for me. "I don't want to field a few practice punts, it's too cold." "I'm texting my agent after a bad loss rather than listening to my coach." "I'm gonna set the bar for you guys. (T.O. and Chad Johnson) They [Banner] better do somethin'."

Now, I don't expect perfect behavior out of DeSean. We all know the kid's a little bit of a fake gangster and loves the camera. But the huge pile of money he's due to receive makes me wonder if the larger problems that these smaller incidents *could* be indicative of are going to rear their heads once he's gotten that multimillion dollar signing bonus. I like DeSean. I think he's got a good heart (see his appearance on The View) and that he likes his identity as one of the faces of our franchise. I'm just concerned that the lack of a huge contract could be the only thing keeping him in line. I think it's plausible that once he gets it, he could become a real problem and worse, set a terrible example for the other skill position players who obviously look up to him.

2. I'm worried about DeSean Jackson as a Wide Receiver, and the Eagles are too.

Don't for one second think that Andy Reid's unenthusiastic comments about DeSean's new contract were meaningless or an accident. It's obvious that the Eagles have some concerns about him as a player, and they should. Here's what scares me. I'm afraid that DeSean's about to become a shorter Randy Moss-esque WR: what some WR coaches derisively refer to as a "789". This is a WR who is afraid of the big hit, doesn't want to go across the middle, and grows alligator arms when he hears footsteps. The term "789" comes from the routes those numbers represent: the corner, the post, and the streak. WRs that get called "789s" only want to run those routes because they don't require precise running, don't require excellent release technique, help avoid hits from bigger players, and produce high numbers of yards and touchdowns with minimal effort.

Let me be clear: I am not saying that DeSean is a pussy, and I'm not saying that he doesn't have good reason to avoid going over the middle. However, we need to keep four things in mind.

Thing #1: WRs like DeSean usually don't keep their super-elite speed much past age 26 or 27.

Thing #2: DeSean is 24.

Thing #3: WRs, when they have a lack of speed, compensate with excellent release technique and great route-running. (See Avant, Jason)

Thing #4: DeSean's route-running is sloppy, and his release technique is absolutely fucking terrible.

Look at any youtube clip of our offense. Watch DeSean's releases. They're awful. They stink. He has his little shake-and-bake he does at the line, which since he's so agile often lets him get a good angle against the CB. However, his shake-and-bake thing takes time and throws off his route. This is one of the reasons why he has so many deep routes: he's really easy to hold up at the LOS, so Marty sends him deep where his insane speed can make up for the fact that he didn't get a good release off the line. If he's not shaking and baking, he does a "slide and glide", meaning he squirms his way around the DB, taking a couple seconds in the process, and then runs away really fast. This throws off his routes, which are supposed to be crisp and precise and etc. He has no physically aggressive or in-your-face release moves whatsoever. Don't give me the size thing. Does Steve Smith have trouble being physical at the point of release?

DeSean's lucky he has Vick to bomb him the ball 65 yards downfield all game. If DeSean's performance was predicated on having to run the slant, the comeback, and the 6, he'd be totally screwed. DeSean has the success he does because he's so abominably fast. I'm worried about his future because if he doesn't improve in the aspects of route-running and releasing, he'll be totally useless once his speed becomes merely above-average in a couple of seasons.

3. Where does Jeremy Maclin go from here?

We all like Jeremy. We all know next to nothing about him. He hates the spotlight, doesn't talk a lot, and goes about his business on the field in a very sort of ordinarily talented way. Maclin has said in interviews that the other guys call him "the old man," because he never jokes around with them or, as Shady put it, "acts a fool."

The classic example is one of the 2 Minute Drill clips Maclin and DeSean did together. DeSean is constantly cracking jokes and mugging for the camera and then looks to Maclin to laugh or jump in. Each time, Maclin looks awkwardly at DeSean and quietly and uncomfortably goes, "Heh."

That's him in a nutshell for me. Jeremy Maclin, almost 1,000 yards, 10 TDs, 1st round pick... "Heh."

I wonder what is going to happen with Jeremy these next few seasons. In which way will his game develop? Truly great WRs take over games: Andre Johnson, Fitz, Calvin Johnson, etc. Will Maclin ever have one of those days? What type of player is he? What's his ceiling? Does he have a future other than running very precise 6 routes and making quietly acrobatic sideline catches? Will he ever actually connect with the city of Philadelphia? Will sportscasters (Merrill excluded) ever have to not think for a second to remember his name? Will he ever make a reputation in the league? If so, as what? Is Jeremy Maclin a less-known version of Reggie Wayne, quiet, workmanlike, and very good? Or does he have it in him to eclipse DeSean, Nicks, and Austin in our division?

4. A Thought Experiment:

Serious questions. First: how many normal-sized guys, of average physical fitness and average athletic ability, would it take to physically subdue a seriously pissed-off Jason Peters? Second: how many of those same average dudes would it take to win a no-holds-barred brawl with the Eagles' starting Offensive Line? Third: which of the starting Eagles OLmen would be the toughest and do the most damage in that brawl before they went down? Which Olman would be the weakest and fold the fastest?

My answers: 6, 25, Herremans, Justice.

5. What is Shady McCoy's ceiling?

The obvious answer is, "High." The real question, though is, "Yeah, but *how* high?" In his second year in the league, I'll assert that LeSean is already one of the NFL's top 5 RBs in terms of being a complete player and game-changer. And I don't think I'm being too Homerlicious in that assertion. Is Shady about to become the best RB in Eagles history? Don't you think it's conceivable?  I do. I really do. To be honest with you guys, I think he's already essentially as good as BWest was in his prime. I can't wait to see what happens these next few years.

Don't forget how young LeSean is. He's the youngest player on the team, I think. He's only 22. He's going to get stronger and bigger for another 3 or 4 years. I can't wait to see where he goes from here. Here's another assertion: I believe that LeSean McCoy has already passed DeSean Jackson as the 2nd most important piece of our offense after Michael Vick.

6. Who breaks out next?
We hope for a breakout player every year. Last season, it was obviously Shady's breakout year. The year before, it was Brent Celek's. So, who does it happen for this upcoming season?

Here's how I define a breakout player:

1. The player must have already been on the team for at least 1 year.

2. The player must have seen at least limited game action.

3. The player must have legitimately shown flashes of an ability to be a game-changer.

4. The player must be in a situation where, with good play, he can elevate himself to a starting position or justify the faith implied by the organization when they get rid of the veteran who used to start ahead of him.

I think Quintin Mikell is as good as gone, and my pick for the 2011-2012 breakout Eagle is Kurt Coleman. The bottom line is that to play SS you need instinct, ball skills, and a big pair of heavy brass balls. Kurt Coleman has all of these things. He's obviously an instinctual player: how many TDs did he save in that debacle of a Vikings game? He obviously has good ball skills: he found fumbles for big returns and got himself a fantastic INT off of McNabb, no less.

He also has the attitude needed to play SS: he doesn't fear being in the box, he doesn't get run over, and he's a sound tackler. He loves to hit, too: his hit on Austin Collie was absolutely scary. He doesn't have prototypical size, but he looks like he'll benefit from good weight training. Assuming the lockout gets taken care of.

The bottom line is that Kurt Coleman is, as Jon Gruden would say, "a FOOTball player." I think he was an absolute steal, and I agree with Tommy Lawlor that he has to potential to be a starter for us for years. Of course, if Q somehow comes back, this all changes. Who do you all think is the next breakout Eagle?

7. Which way does Vick go?

Vick has some big questions. As the year wore on, defenses got his number. His joke of an OL didn't help matters much, but Vick is far from perfect. The big question for me is what happens next season. Will Vick show up improved and as unstoppable as he was in the early part of the season, or will he be the much more flawed player of the latter games?

Vick needs to be more careful with the ball and for God's sake he has to take fewer hits. We can only hope he finds a way to stay healthy: if Kolb vanishes, we'll be in real trouble if Vick is out for another 3 games.

Sound off, dudes. Argue with me if you want to, argue with each other as always, and here's hoping all this lockout crap gets sorted out sooner rather than later.

DSmith signing off.

Gentlemen, I have my schematic hat on today. It gives me great pleasure to provide a thorough breakdown of the design and execution of one of the staple plays of the Eagles' offense.

If you pay attention, you will not only gain a greater understanding of the Hi-Lo concept that is so critical to our offense, but you will also grasp how this versatile concept is designed to beat various standard defensive coverages.

Step up, concentrate, and imbibe deeply of that timeless, 200-proof DSmith215 wisdom. Mmmmmm, it goes down smooth.

I present, on behalf of Team Erudition:

Posse Left 629 Cross TE Read

Continue reading this post »

Welcome to the locker room chronicles. I,  a member of Team Erudition, am here to provide a never-before-seen look at the true workings of the Eagles' locker room drama. Each volume will detail a story that will never be exposed in the media or reported on Twitter, but assuredly, definitely, probably happened.

Without further ado, I give you:

--JIM WASHBURN MEETS HIS DEFENSIVE LINEMEN--

Continue reading this post »

[Note by JimmyK, 01/21/11 9:59 AM EST ] This is a well-done post by BGN member DSmith215.  I'm a little late getting it to the front page, but well worth the read.

Good morning, gentlemen.

Everybody is rightfully excited about getting Jim Washburn to the Eagles. The guy is probably the most respected DL coach in the league. However, as I've commented on several posts, if he brings his system from Tennessee over, things are going to be very different for our linebackers.

I've decided to expand on these possible changes a bit here.

1. A primer on Washburn's DE system:

Steve Mariucci once semi-famously said on NFL Network that Washburn's gap system was akin to running straight at someone while waving your arms and screaming: it's a little out of control, but boy does it get people to react to you. While Washburn is an intense student of technique and stunting, his gap scheme is pretty simple: "beat the man in front of you, then attempt to seriously injure the quarterback."

In other words, this isn't the cagey Samurai staring down his target for 20 minutes before swinging his Katana. This is the crazy, paint-covered Scot swinging an axe.

(more after the jump)...

Continue reading this post »

Gentlemen and the rare lady that comes around to hang out with us dudes:

Welcome to the locker room chronicles. I, a member of Team Erudition, am here to provide a never-before-seen look at the true workings of the Eagles' locker room drama. Each volume will detail a story that will never be exposed in the media or reported on Twitter, but assuredly, definitely, probably happened.

Without further ado, I give you:

--CHAD HALL'S FIRST TOUCHDOWN--

Scene: The locker room of Lincoln Financial Field after the close loss to the Cowboys wherein our JV team only lost by one point. DeSean Jackson stands by his locker paging through the scripts for his various TV commercials.

(Enter Chad Hall, excitedly.)

Hall: Gee whilikers, DeSean! I caught my first TD! Kolb found me in the back of the end zone! I put a double-move on a DB and everything! I'm a gosh-darn-dandy NFL player! I'm just like you!

Jackson: YOOOOO WHERE CALI AT DJACCCC ALL TURNT UP IN HURRR

Hall: What? What are you talking about, DeSean?

Jackson: YOOOOOO I BE ON MAH GRIND ALLL NITE MAKE THAT $$$$$ DOLLAZ

Hall: Guys, I think DeSean's sick!

(Enter Jeremy Maclin, carrying large book and wearing a tweed jacket)

Maclin: Don't bother, Chad. DeSean's always in twitter mode for at least an hour after the game. He won't be coherent for a while.

Hall: He actually *talks* that way? What the do-daddy-heck is wrong with him?

Maclin: He's an idiot. Haven't you seen that chin-beard he grows? Are you surprised he can barely speak english?

Hall: Good point, Jeremy. (Notices Maclin's book) Is that our playbook? Studying up on the game plan so we can beat those no-good-clod-choppin' Packers?

Maclin: (Heaves a sigh) No, Chad. This is a volume of French existentialist philosophy. The only way I can be anywhere near stimulated on this team is by Sartre, not by our idiotic coordinators and walrus-esque pig of a coach. (Takes out snuff, sniffs it, sneezes) Bother. Have you seen my pipe? I must have left it with my white paper on the moral implications of downfield blocking...

Hall: (Excitedly) Whatever! I caught my first touchdown today! Did you see me on the stutter-and-go? I was awesome!

(From a distance) Shut up, you self-righteous, red white and blue shit-stain!

(Enter Todd Herremans, extraordinarily pissed off)

Herremans: Look, you little fucker. You only caught that TD because the defenders lost track of your hobbit-looking pipsqueak ass in the middle of their zone. You suck. Take your fucking stars and stripes and your positive attitude and get the fuck out of my locker room!

(Hall begins to cry)

Maclin: Now Theodore, was that really-

(DeSean interjects)

Jackson: I BE ALWAYZZ UP ON MY J.O. NEVER STOPPIN KEPP IT POPPPEN

Maclin: Have you finished?

(DeSean begins trimming his chin-beard)

Maclin: Thank heaven for that. Now, Theodore, was that really necessary? Chad's just excited he did more than mildly confuse the defense on a gadget play that isn't actually designed to get the ball to him.

Hall: I'm versatile!!!

Maclin: Shut up, Chad.

Herremans: Yeah, shut the fuck up, Chad! Chad sounds like chode! You little fuckstick! My dick is bigger than your fucking thighs! I have shoes that are bigger than you! I could fit you in the glove box of my sketchy-ass black van! You're small, damn it! YOU'RE TOO GODDAMN SMALL!

(Hall begins crying again)

Maclin: You know, Theodore, he is bigger than DeSean.

Herremans: Yeah, but DeSean's fast. He's faster than my shits after Chili night at the Herremans house. Anyway, you can shut up too, Maclin. Your eyes bulge like those fucked-up ornamental fish rich white people buy to try to seem accepting of Asians.

Jackson: YEEEEEAH TEACH ME HOW TO DOUGIE TEACH ME TEACH ME HOW TO DOUGIE

Herremans: Whatever.

Maclin: What's wrong with you lately, Theodore? You've been pissy as hell.

Herremans: Dude, do you have any idea how much it sucks to not be able to smoke up? Coach Reid has been watching me ever since that stupid incident in training camp. I haven't been high for a year. Why the hell do you think my run blocking has gotten so much better? I'M ANGRY ALL THE TIME!

Hall: (sobbing) Todd, it's not morally righteous to discuss bowel movements in public! My commanding officer in the Air Force said so! You're a... a... a foul-mouthed lazy-pants!

Herremans: You disgust me! I will toss you like a goddamn shot-put , you little yankee-dankee-doodle pygmy!

(Herremans moves to strangle Chad Hall, is stopped by the arrival of a lurching, slobbering Jason Peters)

Peters: GRRRRAAAAGGGGHHHHHHHHH.

Maclin: Shit! Who forgot to feed Jason Peters?

Peters: CHICKENNNNNNN GRRRRAAARRRRRRRRRRR

Herremans: Dunlap! Bring your lanky turnstyle ass over here and give Peters his Popeye's before he starts eating the athletic tape again.

Peters: YAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRGHHHHHHHHHH

(Peters is given seven buckets of chicken)

Peters: GRAAAAAAAAAHHH SLOBBER OM NOM NOM NOM NOM

(Peters lumbers off)

Herremans: That guy scares the shit of even me. He doesn't talk or anything.

Maclin: I heard he ate a basket of sweater-wearing kittens once. Thought they were hot dogs.

(David Akers overhears, yells)

Akers: Hey! Those Kittens were righteous Jesus kittens! They said their prayers every night! I was going to give them to my heathen, sex-desiring wife so she'd stop interrupting my P90X workouts and rosary recitations! You Godless FUCKS!

Herremans: Shut up Akers. You're old. You lead the team in being old. Go read your fucking bible.

Akers: Todd, that's an ignorant thing to say. Leviticus 18 says-

(Maclin throws a football tumbling about two inches off the ground into the distance. Akers panics and sprints after it, screaming 'DAMN IT, SAV!')

Herremans: Thanks.

Maclin: It's okay. I hate kickers.

(Enter Jon Dorenbos, bouncing like a fucking superball while clearly not being in anything even resembling the physical condition of anybody else on the entire team, including defensive coordinator Sean McDermott)

Dorenbos: Hiiiiiiiiiii guys! Pick a card! Then write your name on it! Then fold it twice and stick it up my asshole!

The rest of the locker room: SHUT THE FUCK UP, DORENBOS! SHUT THE FUCK UP AND FUCKING DIE!

(Dorenbos bounces off home to have sex with his ludicrously hot wife, which does not now and has not ever made any goddamn sense)

Herremans: I don't even know what's going on here anymore. This shit would never happen if Dawk was still around.

Maclin: What shit?

(Ernie Sims walks past. He is wearing a shark costume, holding a pistol, and reading a manual entitled 'how to concuss people.')

Herremans: That shit, baldy.

Maclin: And people think this franchise is so stable.

FIN

Greetings, Vikings fans.

I'm DSmith215, one of the regulars over at BleedingGreenNation, the Eagles site. I'm stopping by as our liaison to you all as we prepare for our primetime contest on Sunday.

I'm decently football-y, and can answer questions you may have about our personnel, pressure packages, play-calling, injuries, how we'll try to defend and attack you, etc.

I'm looking forward to a good discourse with you all; the game on Sunday should be an interesting one with all the questions of who'll be playing QB for you guys, whether AD will be able to go, etc.

Please let me know what I can answer for you; some of my compatriots may stop by and chime in as well.

Here's hoping for an exciting game and no injuries for either team! (God knows the Birds can't deal with any more, with our 1st and 2nd round draft picks on IR.)

If any of you have questions about your love lives, finances, school projects, etc. I can answer those, as well. I am a versatile motherfucker.